February 01, 2024 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | By Sophia Lisco
So far, 2024’s cinematic lineup is not looking good for the girls, gays and theys. After “Bottoms” and “Barbie” were released in 2023, I had high hopes for campy queer-ness moving into a year of new releases. The highly anticipated reboot of “Mean Girls” (the original being an all-time favorite of mine) felt like the perfect way to start the year. Sadly, it didn’t take long for me to realize that not even Reneé Rapp (known for her roles on Broadway, in the multi-season series of “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” and my girlfriend’s TikTok feed) could save a film made to fall flat.
The task of remaking a beloved classic is fraught with danger and not for the faint of heart. The “Mean Girls” writers had to walk a tightrope of pleasing old fans and winning over new ones in hopes of earning accolades alongside “Ocean’s Eleven,” “A Star is Born,” and “Little Women.” Unfortunately, it’s a very slippery slope, and “Mean Girls” (2024) will be cemented in notoriety alongside Will Smith’s “Genie” on Disney, Vince Vaughn’s “Norman Bates,” and Chloë Grace Moretz’s “Carrie,” among other reboots that time forgot.
In Tina Fey’s “reimagining” of a musical based on a movie based on a book, she reprises her role as Ms. Norbury alongside Tim Meadows as an older Principal Duvall. The rest of this year’s cast, however, is entirely fresh (save for a surprise cameo from Lindsay Lohan) and catered to a new generation. Unfortunately, a revamped cast and modern fashion choices didn’t fill any gaps or create the fresh humor and chemistry that this script so desperately needed.
“Mean Girls” (2024) introduces Avantika Vandanapu, who leans a little too hard into her role as Regina’s airheaded sidekick, Karen Smith. The Hollywood up-and-comer unfortunately misrepresented the blend of kindness, naivety and loyalty that is Karen, and that Amanda Seyfried originally brought to life with nuance and tact. Though I once believed that Karen’s boobs could tell the weather, I found myself waiting for ‘New Karen’ to drop the act. Vandanapu’s Karen caricaturizes the “ditzy popular girl” in such a way that it becomes impossible to perceive anything else about her character. And, frankly, I wasn’t a fan of her Halloween song, “Sexy.”
And if we’re going to talk about the musical numbers, we must address the “Revenge Party” scene, which was about four minutes too long. For those who need a refresher, “Revenge Party” starts with a startling reverse-POV/SnorriCam shot of a furious Cady Heron storming through the school, before blending into a dreamlike parade montage dance party. Dressed in pastels and marching band-inspired attire, Cady, Damian and Janis fantasize about and strategize the downfall of Regina George. The fast-paced montage feels like a poorly pasted music video that blends the source music with narrative structure in all the wrong ways. As if the scene itself wasn’t enough, the montage becomes the subject of a wink-wink-nudge-nudge fourth wall break in the third act that I, personally, found abhorrent.
The only funny lines in the movie were both copied from the 2004 script and stripped of their comedic edge. This “Mean Girls” just doesn’t have any bite. What happened to the Planned Parenthood prank call? What about Coach Carr and Trang Pak? Since when did cool moms like Regina’s stop offering alcohol and condoms? And, more importantly, where were her hard plastic boobs?! “Mean Girls” (2024) sacrificed valuable storylines and laughs for poorly produced music.
There is, however, one addition that deserves some kudos. The new “Mean Girls” welcomes Janis Ian (now ‘Imi’ike) to the canon of famous fictional lesbians. The new story fills in the backstory between frenemies Janis and Regina in a (mostly) satisfying way — and, yes, they did kiss. Does this make up for the fact that Reneé Rapp teased a gay Regina George before the film’s release, only to give us nothing but an Aaron Samuels-obsessed plastic? No, not really, but it’s something.
Am I being too harsh? Is “Mean Girls” (2024) still a good movie, despite its aforementioned flaws? Perhaps. But I can’t imagine that the original “Mean Girls” fans, the ones who sing along to Kevin G’s talent show rap, who cut holes in their tank tops and have looked everywhere for Kälteen Bars, will be all that impressed.